THOUGHTS ON BROKEN WIND. 
121 
quieting of spasmodic action. Again, since the causes of the 
disease differ, our remedial agents will not act always alike, nor 
is our knowledge of the nature of the complaint as yet suffi¬ 
ciently developed to enable us to detect clearly, during the life 
of the animal, from what cause it proceeds. 
We shall now consider the next important desideratum in the 
treatment; namely, relieving the congested state of the bronchial 
membrane, and thus easing the breathing. In treating affections 
of the mucous membrane of the lungs in man, expectorants and 
diaphoretics are very valuable ; but these do not avail us much. 
Such medicines as we call alteratives, and especially mercurial 
alteratives, seem to answer best. Calomel in small doses keeps 
up a drain on the system, and seems to act most beneficially in 
the clearing of the mucous membrane. Small doses of aloes 
and nitre occasionally are also very useful. After having first 
cleared out the bowels by small doses of aloes and by enemata, a 
combination of some of the above remedies, namelv, sedative 
and alterative, seems to be required, and they, perhaps by equal- 
izingthe circulation or preventing re-action, act very beneficially. 
We may combine digitalis and opium, and camphor and calomel, 
in small proportions, say 3SS each, continued for a time, and 
then remitted for a time, and again prescribed. I believe that 
some such treatment is used beneficially in the Edinburgh school. 
Nitre given in a warm mash occasionally is useful. Articles 
known as condition powders are also occasionally useful, such 
as a combination of sulphur, antimony, and nitre. In fact, all 
those means whereby the conditioning of horses, namely, freeing 
their body of grossness, and then clearing their breathing, will 
be found advantageous. We must never forget, however, that 
medicine is but an adjunct to our other treatment, and that it 
never will succeed but in concert with that, and that the sooner 
we can cease giving medicine of any kind the better. Who 
can doubt the relief to be obtained by such means as I have 
pointed out (conjointly with exercise, which I shall next speak 
of), when we daily see the change produced by similar means 
in roarers and thick winded horses, and even in getting a 
healthy gross horse into condition! The change in the freedom 
of the animal’s breathing, and in the capabilities of endurance 
of these animals, is quite wonderful. 
My last remarks were applicable to horses capable of doing 
some fast work; but in cases wherein the respiration is too 
laborious to allow of this, and which are still required to do as 
much as they are fit for, a diet partly of grass will be found 
beneficial, or, if practicable, turning the horse out on a scanty 
common for a few hours daily. But if the animal has to work, 
we must not allow him to fill his stomach even with grass. 
